Quarterback Roger Staubach (12), sparkplug of the U.S. Naval Academy team, elects to run with the ball pursued by University of Pittsburgh end Joe Kuzneski (83) and fullback Rick Leeson (46). / Associated Press

Midshipman quarterback Roger Staubach (12) is shown in huddle during Navy's game against the University of Pittsburgh on Oct. 26, 1963, in Annapolis, Md. Navy dropped Pitt from the ranks of unbeaten, 24-12. / AP

Roger Staubach, junior quarterback for Navy, was named the winner the Heisman Trophy in 1963. / AP

Cincinnati Purcell graduate Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy for Navy in 1963. / Photo courtesy of the U.S. Naval Academy

Roger Staubach passes during one of Navy's games in a 1963. / AP Photo

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CINCINNATI — Roger Staubach’s reputation is so strong across the country, some people are surprised to learn he is an Ohioan.

An NFL superstar in Dallas and a Heisman Trophy winner for Navy, his brand is national. But Staubach’s roots were formed in Silverton, a northeastern suburb of Cincinnati.

He gravitated toward sports at an early age, and his leadership qualities sparked virtually every coach to push him toward playing quarterback.

At Cincinnati Purcell High School, Staubach played in a powerhouse program with a strict code — sophomores played junior varsity, juniors were on defense and seniors played offense. Quarterbacks controlled the huddle, organized the offense, and distributed the ball.

Even a future Pro Football Hall of Famer would not change the conservative recipe for coach Frank McCarthy.

As a junior in 1958, Staubach was a starter in the secondary and earned spot duty at quarterback for a 7-2-1 team that finished No. 11 in the final state poll. His first varsity start at QB came in the 1959 season opener. He rallied Purcell to the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of a 28-20 win against Dayton Chaminade.

He was a quarterback, evermore. The Cavaliers buried Cincinnati Central, Mansfield Senior, Washington Court House and Cincinnati Taft in quick succession before stumbling at Louisville Flaget.

Staubach rebounded with sterling performances in wins against St. Xavier and Louisville Valley. In a Greater Catholic League showdown with Cincinnati Elder, he outdueled future NFL quarterback Steve Tensi. “Roger the Dodger” audibled to a naked bootleg and swept 62 yards for a score, fueling a 20-14 victory.

But in the season finale, Staubach’s late rally came up 2 yards short as the gun sounded in a stinging, 6-3 loss to Cincinnati Roger Bacon. That left the Cavaliers 8-2, ninth in the final state poll and in a tie for the GCL title.

Staubach was Cincinnati’s Player of the Year and an All-Ohioan, and recruiters responded. Woody Hayes was the most persistent. Staubach and his mother liked the Buckeyes’ boss, just not his offense. Staubach wanted to play for Notre Dame, but the Irish were uninterested until he dominated the Ohio North-South All-Star game.

By then it was too late.

After a year at New Mexico Military Institute, Staubach set off for Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy.

As a sophomore, he was the Midshipmen’s fourth-string QB. When two quarterbacks were injured and another proved ineffective, Staubach got his chance against Cornell. He engineered six touchdown drives, threw for 99 yards and ran for 89 more in a 41-0 victory. Navy went 5-5 and upset arch-rival Army, 34-14. Staubach carved up the Cadets with 12-of-15 passing for 220 yards and two TDs. He also added two touchdown runs.

“There ought to be 20 out there like him,” President John F. Kennedy told an aide while watching the game from the stands.

In 1963, Staubach was even better. He guided Navy to a memorable 9-1 regular season. Although the second-ranked Midshipmen fell to No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl, he easily claimed the Heisman Trophy by hitting 107-of-161 passes (66.5 percent) for 1,474 yards and seven TDs. He also ran for 418 yards and eight scores.

Injuries sidetracked his senior year and led to a forgettable season. His military obligation, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, put football on the shelf for five years. His first crack at the NFL didn’t arrive until July 1969, when he joined the Dallas Cowboys.

For three years, Staubach battled Craig Morton for the starting quarterback job. When Staubach emerged, he led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl VI victory, pocketing MVP honors in that game.

He sat out most of 1972 with a separated shoulder, but again relieved Morton in a divisional playoff game against San Francisco. Staubach responded by throwing two TD passes in the final 90 seconds to defeat the 49ers, 30-28. He was a star for the rest of his career — becoming the focal point of “America’s Team” and earning a new nickname, “Captain America.”

Dallas coach Tom Landry unveiled the shotgun formation in 1975 to better take advantage of Roger’s scrambling abilities, and his penchant for late-game heroics was legendary. He orchestrated 23 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career.

The most-famous rally came in a 1975 NFC divisional playoff game at Minnesota.

Playing in 10-degree weather, the Cowboys trailed 14-10 with 24 seconds remaining. Staubach took a snap at midfield, pumped one way, and fired an arching pass that Drew Pearson caught for the game-winning touchdown.

He dubbed it “The Hail Mary.”

“I was just a Catholic kid from Cincinnati,” Staubach said. “I could’ve said the Glory Be or Our Father, but I’ve always had a good relationship with the Virgin Mary, so I said Hail Mary.”